An international research team has retraced the astonishing lifetime journey of an Arctic woolly mammoth, which covered enough of the Alaska landscape during its 28 years to almost circle the Earth twice. Scientists gathered unprecedented details of its life through analysis of a 17,000-year-old fossil from the University of Alaska Museum of the North. By […]
USPELLUKU – MEASURE NUQAQ USP’RKUTA’AQA. – I AM GOING TO MEASURE THE ATLATL. All measuring systems rely on uniformity, a standard way to record things like length, weight, and volume. Today we use rulers to measure inches and feet, or a scale to record kilos. Before the adoption of the contemporary measuring systems, like the […]
KAC’AMAASAQ – HALF DRIED FISH KAC’AMAASANEK AWA’I PILITAAN’ITUT. – THEY DON’T MAKE HALF DRIED FISH ANYMORE. Fish are a dietary staple in Alutiiq communities, a food that can be harvested in abundance in summer and fall and preserved to eat through the rest of the year. Just as there are many ways to catch fish, […]
NUUNIQ – PORCUPINE / QUILL QIKERTAQ NUUNIITUQ. – THERE ARE NO PORCUPINE ON KODIAK ISLAND. The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is a large rodent found in Alaska’s forests and shrubby environments. These stout, slow-moving creatures have short legs, a muscular tail, and a thick layer of body fat. They can weigh up to about […]
PUPIK – PIMPLES PUPIKA PUKSUWAQA. – I PINCHED MY PIMPLE. From pimples and boils to burns, sores, and rashes, skin irritations are a common problem. The Alutiiq word pupik can be used to describe all of these conditions. Early accounts of Alutiiq communities report that skin ulcers were widespread, often caused by insect bites. Alutiiq healers lanced boils […]
KITAIT’SAAQ – CHINESE PERSON CUUMI KITAIT’SAAT TAITAALLRIIT KAANARIMEN PEKCATURLUTENG. – CHINESE PEOPLE USED TO COME TO WORK IN THE CANNERIES. Late 19th century political unrest in China led large numbers of people to leave the country. Booming industries—the gold rush, railroads, and canneries—attracted Chinese immigrants to the United States. On Kodiak, Chinese laborers were a critical […]
KANGIYANGCUK, KICARWIK – HARBOR PARAGUUTAQA KICAK’GKA KANGIYANGCUGMI. — I ANCHORED MY BOAT IN THE HARBOR. Alutiiq people have long located their settlements in places that provide safe access to the ocean. In Kodiak’s stormy climate, the ability to launch and land boats is essential for people who hunt, fish, and work on the water. With […]
KIA’IWIK – KIAVAK BAY KIA’IWIK YAQSIN’ITUQ NUNIAMEK. – KIAVAK BAY IS NOT FAR FROM OLD HARBOR. Kiavak Bay lies on the southeast coast of Kodiak Island. This long, narrow waterway stretches about 8 km west into the Kodiak Mountains. A spit divides the bay in two, creating distinct inner and outer environments. The outer bay […]
Imarpiaq – Shelikof Strait Imarpiamen qayanilu. – Don’t kayak in Shelikof Strait. Shelikof Strait runs along the west coast of the Kodiak Archipelago, separating the islands from the Alaska Peninsula. It stretches about 240 km from the entrance to Cook Inlet to the southwestern end of Kodiak Island. The straight is a glacial trough, deeply […]